State Records Office of Western Australia
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The State Records Office of Western Australia (SROWA) is the Western Australian government archive authority created by legislation separating government archival services from the State Library of Western Australia, which was in the past known as 'Library and Information Service of Western Australia' (LISWA).
The SROWA is a separate legal entity, although it can sometimes be confused with the Battye Library, a collection area of the State Library, due to its housing in the same building - the Alexander Library Building (named after Professor Fred Alexander).
The distinction is that, while Battye Library houses published materials and archival records for individuals, companies and organisations, relating to Western Australian history, the SROWA has legislative responsibility for ensuring government records are appropriately created and maintained. It also manages the State archives collection, defined as those government records recognised as having enduring value for the State and the community, and currently containing over 2 million government archives relating to Western Australian history. This represents approximately one-quarter of the State's total archival heritage, with a further 35 linear kilometres of archives held in individual government agencies.
Separate legislation to create a State archives was first considered in the 1930s. The 1950s Library Board Act was eventually amended to make provision for archives, but specific records and archives legislation did not become a reality until the passing of the State Records Act in 2000. The current legislation has its genesis in the recommendations of the 1996 Commission on Government - Specified Matter 9. The Commission on Government was itself the result of one of Western Australia's most notorious Royal Commissions - the Royal Commission into the commercial activities of Government and other matters, better known as WA Inc.
From the SROWA website:
Until recently the State Records Office operated under the provisions of the Library Board of Western Australia Act 1951-1983 (Sections 22-33). Under this Act the disposal of State records by government organisations could not proceed without the approval of the Library Board of Western Australia. The State Records Office traditionally acted as the conduit through which State and Local Government agencies approached the Library Board, to obtain approval for the destruction of records. With the passing of the State Records Act 2000 and the State Records (Consequential Provisions) Act 2000 the responsibility for approving the disposal of State records has been vested in the State Records Commission. Under the State Records Act 2000 the Director of State Records and the State Records Office are accountable to the State Records Commission.
In other states and locations the equivalent office may be known as the 'Public Records Office' or the 'State Archives'.
